Aloo Bonda Recipe

                    Ingredients 

For the stuffing

2 tbsp Vegetable Oil

¼ tsp Hing

1 tbsp Coriander Seeds (crushed)

1 tsp Cumin Seeds

1 tbsp Cashew Nuts (crushed)

1 tbsp Raisins (chopped)

2 tsp Green Chilli (finely chopped)

2 tbsp Coriander (chopped)

2 cups Boiled Potatoes (refrigerated for 3-4 hours and peeled)

Salt (to taste)

1 tsp Red Chilli Powder

1 tsp Dry Mango Powder

1 tsp Anardana Powder

½ tsp Black Pepper Powder

½ tsp Roasted Cumin Powder

½ tsp Garam Masala Powder

Oil (for frying)

For the batter

1 cup Gram Flour

¼ cup Corn Starch

1 tsp Ajwain

1 tsp Salt

½ tsp Turmeric Powder

1 tbsp Vegetable Oil

⅛ tsp Baking Soda

             Instructions

For the filling

• Heat vegetable oil in a pan.

• Once the oil is hot, add hing, coriander seeds and cumin seeds and let them crackle for a few seconds.
  
• Add cashew nuts and raisins and fry until they are browned.

• Add green chilli, coriander, boiled potatoes, salt, red chilli powder, mango powder, anardana, black pepper powder, garam masala powder, cumin powder and mix everything well.
  

• Cook for 4-5 minutes on medium heat.

• Remove the pan from heat and let the filling cool completely.

•Make small balls from the filling and keep aside.

For the batter

• Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.

• Add water, little by little, and mix to form a flowing batter.

For frying

• Heat oil for frying in a pan.

• Dip the filling balls in batter and drop them in hot oil.

• Use a fork for dipping.

• Fry the bonda on medium high heat until bonda are slightly browned.

• Drain them on a plate.

• Heat the oil again until hot.

• Fry the bonda second time on high heat until they are nicely browned and crisp. Serve hot.

Notes

Make sure that the batter has the right consistency. If batter is too thin, it won’t coat the Bonda and if its too thick, it will over powder the masala.

Deep fry the Bondas on medium flame. They might get burnt or get brown fast without cooking properly if you fry them on high heat. And they will soak too much oil if fried on low heat.

You can also add in a little baking soda in the batter, which makes the Bondas fluffy.

Medu vada Recipe

 

Ingredients

1 Cup skinned urad dal (dhuli urad)

1/2 Cup finely chopped onion

1 teaspoon chopped ginger

5 – 6 curry leaves

1 roughly chopped green chilli

1 teaspoon black peppercorns (sabut kalimirch), roughly crushed

1/4 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)

1/4 teaspoon turmeric (optional)

Salt to taste

Oil for deep-frying

                     Instructions

Prepare Batter

Rinse and soak the urad dal in water for 4 – 5 hours or overnight.  Next day, drain the water from the urad dal and let it sit in the strainer for 5 minutes to drain the excess water.   Now grind the dal in the mixer grinder. 

To get the smooth paste you need to stir the dal a few times while grinding. Turn off the mixer, stir and then grind. Repeat the process till you get thick, smooth dal paste.   Use 1 tablespoon of water at a time to grind the dal. Do not add more than 2 – 4 tablespoons of water. Transfer the dal paste to a clean, large bowl. 

You can whisk the dal using an electric hand blender or manually. Continuous whisking of 8 – 10 minutes is good enough to incorporate air in the dal.   Add 2 – 3 tablespoons of water if the batter is too thick and then whisk. 

Season Batter

Add salt, chopped green chilli, onion, ginger, curry leaves, black pepper and spices in the dal. Mix nicely.

Prepare Vada:

Heat oil in a wide deep frying pan.

To shape the vada, keep water in a small bowl next to the dal paste. Soak the fingers of both the hands in water and pinch a lemon size portion of dal paste. Hold it with your one hand fingers and flatten it using the other hand wet fingers. Make a hole in the center of the flattened vada using your finger.

Gently slip it on to the pan of hot oil to deep fry. For safety reasons, it is best to slide the shaped vada from the sides of the pan.

 Deep fry the vada over medium-high heat till they turn golden brown, crisp from both sides.

Transfer to a plate lined with a kitchen towel. Serve Medu Vada warm with coconut chutney and sambar. 

Recipe Notes

Use only white skinless urad dal for making the vada batter. 

It is an essential step to soak the dal for vada at least 5 – 6 hours before grinding.

Use very little water while grinding the dal (by little I mean not more than 2 – 4 tablespoons). If the batter seems thick add a tablespoon of water at a time. 

After grinding without adding salt whisk the batter for 10 minutes or till it is light, airy, and fluffy.

Always wet your fingers with water before shaping the vada, or you can use banana leaf also for the purpose.

I prefer frying the vada at medium-high heat so that it gets perfectly cooked from the inside and crisp from the outside.

Store the leftover vada batter in the refrigerator for 2 – 3 days. 

Rasgulla Recipe

   

INGREDIENTS

2 litre milk (full cream)

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 cup sugar

5 cup water

3 pod cardamom

    INSTRUCTIONS

 

• firstly, in a large vessel get 2 litre milk of milk to a boil stirring occasionally.

• once the milk comes to a boil, pour 2 tbsp lemon juice and stir well. you can alternatively use curd or vinegar.

• stir until the milk curdles keeping the flame on low to medium.

• do not boil further once water separates completely.

• drain the curdled milk over a cloth-lined over a colander. you can use the leftover water to make soup or knead the dough as they are very nutritious.

• squeeze off the water completely. be careful as the curdled milk will be very hot.

• rinse off the curdled milk with fresh water to remove sourness from lemon juice.

• squeeze off the water completely. do not over squeeze as the moisture in paneer will be lost.

• hang for 1 hour making sure the water is drained completely, yet remain the moisture.

• after 1 hour, start to mash the paneer for 5 minutes.

• mash the paneer till it turns out smooth texture without any grains of paneer.

• now prepare small ball sized paneer and keep aside. cover and keep to prevent from drying.

• in a large vessel take 1 cup sugar, 5 cup water and 3 pod cardamom.

• stir and dissolve the sugar completely.

• now boil the water for 5 minutes.

• drop in rolled paneer balls one by one into boiling sugar water.

• cover and boil for 10 minutes or until rasgulla doubles in size.

• now drop into ice-cold water immediately, to prevent from shrinking in size.

• once cooled completely, take into a serving bowl and pour in leftover sugar water.

• finally, enjoy rasgulla chilled or as it is.

White kurma Recipe

 INGREDIENTS 

for masala paste:

½ cup coconut (grated)

1 tbsp roasted gram dal / putani

8 cashew / kaju

2 chilli

½ inch cinnamon

3 pods cardamom / elachi

1 tsp fennel / saunf

1 tbsp poppy seeds / khus khus

¼ cup water

             for kurma

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp cumin / jeera

1 bay leaf

½ onion (sliced)

1 tsp ginger paste

1 carrot (chopped)

1 potato / aloo (chopped)

6 beans (chopped)

4 tbsp peas / matar

 
1 tsp salt

 
¼ cup water

 
1 cup water

 
2 tbsp coriander (finely chopped)

 
2 tbsp lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS

 

• firstly, in a small blender take ½ cup coconut, 1 tbsp putani and 8 cashews.

• also add 2 chilli, ½ inch cinnamon, 3 pods cardamom, 1 tsp fennel and 1 tbsp poppy seeds.

• blend to smooth paste adding ¼ cup water. keep aside.

• in a large kadai heat 2 tbsp oil and saute 1 tsp cumin, 1 bay leaf.

• also, saute ½ onion and 1 tsp ginger paste until it softens.

• further add 1 carrot, 1 potato, 6 beans and 4 tbsp peas.

• add 1 tsp salt and saute for 2 minutes.

• now add ¼ cup water, cover and cook for 5 minutes.

• once the vegetables are almost cooked add in the prepared white masala paste.

• saute for 2 minutes until the raw flavours disappear.

• add in 1 cup water and mix adjusting consistency as required.

• cover and boil for 5 minutes making sure the flavours are well absorbed.

• also add 2 tbsp coriander, 2 tbsp lemon juice and mix well.

• finally, enjoy white kurma with chapati and idiyappam.

Easy chocolate fudge Recipe

 Ingredients 

• 2 cups (12oz) semi sweet chocolate chips (do not use milk chocolate)

• 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Line a 9×9 square pan with parchment paper that covers the sides of the pan.

2. Place the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in a large bowl and microwave for one minute. Stir well to combine and allow the heat to melt the chocolate chips. If needed, microwave for another 30 seconds or so, until the chocolate is completely smooth.

3. Stir in the vanilla extract, then quickly transfer the mixture to the lined pan and spread evenly.

4. Refrigerate the fudge until firm, 2-3 hours.

5. Cut the fudge while it’s still cold (right out the the fridge) and store in an air tight container. Fudge can be stored at either room temperature or the fridge. It will be softer at room temperature.

Rose kulfi Recipe

 Ingredients 

• 1 and 1/2 cups milk

• 3 to 4 tsp sugar

• 10 nos badam

• 5 nos pista + 1 tbsp chopped pista

• 1 no cardamom

• 1 tsp rose essence

• 2 drops pink food color

Instructions

• To a mixer jar add

•  sugar,badam,pista and cardamom.Grind it to a powder.Set aside.Now take your rose essence.

• Add 1 tsp in a  bowl,add pink food color to it.Mix well.Set aside.
  

• Boil milk then simmer for 5 mins.
  

• Now add badam sugar mixture to boiled milk.Heat it up and simmer for another 5 mins, stirring in between.When the milk is slightly thick and creamy, switch off.
  

• Add rose essence mix and keep aside to cool for 30 mins.
  

• Pour into your kulfi mould Keep it covered with aluminum foil and insert icecream stick.Freeze for atleast 6-8hrs.I freezed it overnight

• Next day before serving showing the mould under running tap water for 2 seconds then carefully pull the kulfi out.Garnish with chopped pistachios and serve immediately.
  

Notes

• For extra richness you can add unsweetened khoya or condensed milk.Reduce sugar accordingly.

• 1.5 cups should be reduced to almost 1 cup or little less than that.Because when I measured to pour into moulds it was 1 cup